San Shou Kuan (SSK) Code of Practice

When you attend training and events we expect you to act in a sensible way, be responsible for your own behaviour and do as your instructors ask. SSK is your organisation and we’d like you to make the most of what we offer, but not at the expense of others.

Principles

The purpose of this Code of Practice is to uphold standards of ethical behaviour for the organisation, instructors and members. The components of ethical behaviour are: integrity, responsibility, competence and confidentiality.

Members participating in coached classes or receiving personal coaching from SSK’s qualified
Instructors will be deemed to have accepted this Code of Practice and to endorse and subscribe to
the principles and responsibilities embodied in them.

• An instructor (or coach) is anyone approved by SSK governing body to lead a class or to coach.

• A member (or student) is anyone participating in any of the SSK approved activities.

The relationship between instructor and member is a two-way relationship where all member’s well-being comes first. The core of the relationship is a mutual commitment by both to SSK in general and to martial arts training in particular.

Members will try and help support and promote SSK and their local instructors and their local classes. If any concerns are raised, try and speak directly to the person concerned first, or it that is not possible or suitable, contact the relevant senior SSK member. E.g. Child Protection Officers (CPO’s) or Senior Instructors etc.

Instructors and members agree that participating in, or continuing a training session, is a decision that can only be
made by each individual; coaches will not exert undue pressure on members, beyond reasonable encouragement.

“Bullying, use of critical language and sarcasm, or otherwise undermining any member’s self-esteem
is totally unacceptable.”

Instructors will treat everyone whom they are instructing or who is participating in a class with equal
dignity and respect, irrespective of their ability, gender, age, ethnic origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability or political persuasion.

Members and instructors will treat each other with mutual trust and respect (as will member to member).

The instructor may learn personal information about a member in order to help her/him achieve her/his goals. The instructor and member must reach agreement on what will be considered confidential and the instructor must respect that agreement.

(Most instructors are volunteers, turning up every week and in smaller classes they may even have to cover weekly hall hire costs themselves on occasion! – If you enjoy your class, tell your friends; if you don’t, please tell us why!)
info@sanshoukuan.com

Roles and Responsibilities

The instructor will:

• Respect the rights, dignity and worth of every member regardless of background or ability;
• Place the welfare and safety of the member above the development of performance;
• Challenge inappropriate behaviour or language by others;
• Never put themselves in a position where exploitation or abuse of vulnerable members could occur or could have been thought to have occurred;
• Ensure that they are properly qualified for activities that they coach and update their licence and education as and when required by SSK;
• Whilst in a coaching role, strictly observe a clear boundary between friendship and intimacy with members;
• Turn up in good time for each session and/or assure that there is adequate cover for each session provided, or adequate notice of cancellation;
• Lead sessions with enthusiasm and to the best of their abilities, consistently promoting the positive aspects of SSK
• Act as a good role model by consistently displaying good standards of behaviour, appearance and safe training practise in their own training;
• Co-operate fully with other colleagues (e.g. other instructors and officials) in the best interests of the member;
• Listen and be sensitive to members’ concerns and make them a primary concern when prescribing the training
• Invite and listen to feedback from the members they are coaching;
• Recognise and accept when it is in the member’s interest to refer members to other, more qualified instructors
• Report any suspected misconduct by other instructors to the appropriate authorities (the SSK Club’s Welfare Officer, police, as appropriate).
• Appreciate actively promoting and administrating their own class in a professional manner, on a continuous basis is part of their role as a successful coaching instructor.

Roles and Responsibilities

San Shou Kuan (Head Office) will:

• Listen to feedback from members.
• Recognise and accept when it is in the member’s interest to refer members to other, more qualified instructors.
• Act professionally and promptly supporting our CPO’s as required. (Child Protection Officers)
• Assess you at Gradings based on ability and performance in that test.
• TO BLACK BELT INSTRUCTORS:
• Assess you at Gradings based on ability (by a panel of assessors) not influenced by personal favouritism
• Provide you with detailed feedback prior to Senior Black Belt Gradings and after.
• Actively work for and with you to help promote your class including giving advice and workshops on marketing, efficient administration for running your class, coaching workshops to help you get maximum potential from all your students for their benefit and yours.
• Provide professional printed leaflets, loan you large 6 foot tall professional Roller Banners to help launch or promote your class.
• Proactive in getting and Keeping your class website page placed with good Google rankings so it appears on searches – we won’t just add your class to a web page and forget about it.

“To lead people, walk beside them. As for the best leaders, the people do not notice their existence. The next best, the people honour and praise. The next, the people fear; and the next, the people hate.
– When the best leader’s work is done the people say, ‘We did it ourselves.’” — Lao-Tsu